The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-26

taken his first infantile slumbcr amid |
Tyrian plush and canopod couChes, and
rirpling waters from royal aqucducts drip
ping idto basins of ivory and pearl chose
10 ne born on the level with q cows horn,
or Il Camers hooi, or II dogs nostril, that
he might be the allcviaton OF brutal sui-
fcrng as well us the cdeemor of man.
"Standing then as | imagine now do,
in that Bethlehem night, with an infant
Christ OH the one side and the spcechlcss
creatures OF God ON the other, cry, Look
out how you strike the rowel into that
horses side. Take of that curbcd bit from
that bleeding mouth Remove that saddle
from that raw back. Shoot not for fun that
bird that IL too small for food. Forget not
to put water into the cage OF that canary.
Throw out some crumbs 10 those birds
caught too far north in the winters in.
clCmcncy. Arrest that man who is making
that one horse draw load heavy enough
for three. Rush in upon that scene where
boys are torturing Il cat, or transiiNing but
tcrily and grasshopper. Drive not of that
old robin, for her nest is mothers
| cradle and under her wing there may be-
three or four prima donnas OF the sky in
training. And in your families and in
your schools teach the coming generation
more mercy than the present generation
has ever shown, and in this marvellous
| Bible picture of the nativity, while you
| point out 10 them the angel, show them
also the camel, and while they hear the
celestial chant let them also hear the cows
moan. No more did Christ show interest
in the botanical world when he said con.
slider the lilies, than hc showed sympathy
for the ornithological when he said be.
| hold the fowls Of the air, and the quadru.
pedal world when he allowed himselft TO be
called in one place u lion and in another
place lamb. Meanwhile, may the Christ
Of Bethlehem cattle pen have mercy on the
suffering stOck-yards that are preparing
diseased and fcyorcd meat for our Amcri-
can households
"Behod also in this Bible scene how on
that Christmas night God honored child
hood. Christ might have made his iist
| visit TO our world in n cloud rs he will de-
sccnd on his next visit in the cloud. In
what a chariot OF illumincd vapor lac might
have rolled down the sky escorted by
mounted cavalry with lightning Of drawn
sword. Elijah had carriage Of fire 10
take him up, why not Jesus carriage Oi
fire 10 fetch him DOWN. Or, over the
arched bridge OF a rainbow the Lord might
! have descended. Or Christ might had his
mortality built up on earth out of the
dust Of a garden, as was Adam, in full
manhood at the start without the intro
ductUry iecbleness OF infancy. No, no!
/ Childhood was to be honored by that adj
vent. lie must have a child's light limbs
and n child's beaming eye, and childs
faNcn hair, and babyhood was 10 be hon
o.cd for all time 20 come, and cradle was
90 mean more than grave. Mighty Cod
May the reflection OF that one child's
face bc seen in all infantilc faces. Enough
have all those fathers and mothers on hand
IL they have a child in the house. A
throne, crown. sccptcr, kingdom
under charge. Bc careful how you strike
him across the head, jarring the brain.
What YOU say to him will be centennial
and millennial, and hundred years and q
thousand ycars will not stop the echo and
| rc-echo DO not say 1T is only q child.
Rather say II IL only an immortal II is
only q masterpiece OF Jehovah. II is only
a being that shall Outlive sun, and moon,
and star, and ages qundrillcnrial. God has
infinite resources and hc can give presents
OF gr,'nt value, but when lac wants to give
The richest possible gilt to q household he
looks around all the worlds and all the
universe and then gives n child. The
! greatest present that God ever gave our
world he gave about l,SN years ago, aud
hc gave II on Christmas night. aud IL WIS
OF such value that heaven adjourned for u
recess and came down and broke through
the clouds t0 look at IL. Yea, in all ages
God has honorcd childhood. lie makes
almot every picture failure unless there
bc child either playing ON the floor, or
looking through the window, or seated on
thc lap gazing into the face Of It's mother.
II was q child In Nnhman's kitchen that
told the great Syrian warrior where he
might 20 and get cured OF the lcI rosy,
which, at hls seventh plunge in the JOr.
dan, was left ut the bottom Of the river.
IL was 10 the cradle OF leaves in which a
child was laid, rocked by the Nile, that
Col called the attention Of history. II
WIS a sick child that evoked Chrirrs ,ura.
tive sympaihics. II was child that Christ
set in the midst Of the squabhling disciples
10 teach the lesson Of humility. We arr
informed that the wolf, and leopard, and
lion shall be- yet ~ domcsicalcd that 4
little child shall lead them. A
child decided Waterloo, showing
the army Of Bluchcr how they
could take a short cut through the fields
when, II the old road hud been followed,
the prussian general would have come NJ
too late 20 save the icsiinics OF Europe
II was q child that decided Gettysburg, h,
having overheard too Confederate general.
In conversation IN which they decided
10 march for Gettysburg instead OF Harris
burg. and this reported 10 b0y. Curtin
thc Federal forces started 20 meet thcil
opponents at Gctiysburg And the child
ol today j. 90 decide oil the great battles
make all the laws, settle all the dcstinc'
and usher in the worlds salvation Ol
destruction. Men, women, nations, nl
earth and nll heaven, behold the child
l. there any velvet NJ soft ~ a child'I
cheek2 II there any sky 10 blue as
child's eye? IL there any music ~ swee
~ the chill's voice? II there any PLUMB
No wayy ~ a child's hair2
"NOiicc also that In this Bible nigh
scene God hon0rcd scicnccl Who are th,
three wise men knccling before the diyin,
iniant7 Not boors, not ignortmuses, bu
| Caspar. Belthaur and Nlelchior, men VIII,
knew all that was 10 bc known. 1hcl
, were the Isaac Ncwions and llcnChcl
, and Famdays Of their time. Their nj
chcmy was the i0rtrunncr Of our sublim'
. chemistry, their astrology the mother o
/. our magnificent astronomy They ha,
studied stars, studied metals, studie,
, physiology, studied everything. An,
, when sec these scientists bowling be
fore the beautiful babe see th,
prophecy Of the time when all the tel
! cscopcs and microscopes, and all the Icy
! den jars, aud all the electric batteries, ant
all the ohscryatorics, and all the uniyersi
, ties shall bow 10 Jesus. II IL much tina
way already. Where s the college tina
/ does not have morning prayers, thus bow
| ing at the mangcrl Who have been th
, greatest phydcIans7 Omittinq the name